Camping near Mojave and Death Valley

[Lisa Truck Gypsy]

I'm planning on going to Mojave and Death Valley around October and would like some input from someone who has been there. Apparently there are no reservations and you just drive till you find a site. I'm a bit nervous about that and I'm not sure how many sites these places actually have. It seems people also just pull off of the road...not sure if I like that idea either. Are there any other camping areas nearby with electric and water? 

If you have stayed there please recommend where to go and where to avoid.
Thanks

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I haven't been there yet, although I've been studying a couple of the guidebooks.  As a National Park, the Park Service has a number of developed campgrounds with hookups.  At least one of those campgrounds takes reservations.

https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/camping.htm

 

[highdesertranger]

to get full hook ups you need a RV park. there is one that I know of inside the park. there are some on the outside of the park. Death Valley is one of the few parks that allow back country vehicle camping. by Mojave I assume you mean the Desert not the city. for the most part the Mojave Desert is open to dispersed camping. highdesertranger

 

[rvwandering]

We've stayed at both of them in the last couple of years. You will always be able to get a campsite at Death Valley but not one with electricity and water hookups unless someone cancels at Furnace Creek Campground or you stay at one of the three private campgrounds within the park, . The two largest national park campgrounds in Death Valley are just big gravel lots - not scenic at all but they will give you no reason to be nervous - either about being alone or not finding an open campsite.

  We camped at the roadside area near Cima Road in Mojave National Preserve - beautiful scenery. We would camp there again. We haven't been to either of the campgrounds but I've heard that they're nice - again no hookups.  You'll have to drive a good distance if you need to have hookups.
Camping in Mojave

 

[DannyB1954]

Pahrump Nv is about an hour away from Death Valley. Lots of RV parking here. SOme of it even free.
Have you looked into Boondockerswelcome ?

 

[rvpopeye]

I lived In DV for 7 months at Furnace Creek Village.
There are some FHU sites there and at Stovepipe.
Furnace Creek Village and Stovepipe Wells have general stores and gas (very expensive) stock up outside the park , like in Pahrump.
There is also a campground behind the Visitor Center at Furnace Creek.
There are also the parking lot style Sunset across the road from Furnace Creek and a few more other places in the park.

Some are closed till oct 15th and some only open in summer....

Here's a link FMI that has them all. https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/camping.htm

 

[highdesertranger]

for dispersed camping, https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/backcamp.htm . highdesertranger

 

[Lisa Truck Gypsy]

I haven't been there yet, although I've been studying a couple of the guidebooks.  As a National Park, the Park Service has a number of developed campgrounds with hookups.  At least one of those campgrounds takes reservations.

https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/camping.htm

Great source of info for the park. Thanks a lot

 

[Lisa Truck Gypsy]

thanks everyone. That's great info. I didn't know some of those campgrounds were seasonal. Any recomendations for the Mojave Preserve?

 

[highdesertranger]

I don't think there are any RV parks in the Mojave National Preserve or full hook up sites. there is dispersed camping and a couple of campgrounds. that is where I took my Desert Field Study courses, but that was before they started paving the roads. grrrrrrr, another area ruined. highdesertranger

 

[Suanne]

I met up with family at Mohave National Preserve a week ago.  We camped at a developed campground called Hole-In-The-Wall.  I know there's at least one other developed campground, Mid-Hills I think.  Road was mostly paved to our site, but the other campground was by washboard road.  For $12/night, developed campgrounds have pit toilets, tables, fire rings, trash containers, shared water spickets, RV dump station.  But there's also lots of free dispersed camping there -- pack it in, pack it out. It's the first place I'd read that they also want you to pack out the ashes from your campfire.  It's also the first place I'd seen the sign in the pic below, posted just before crossing a wash ...

 

[highdesertranger]

I have camped at both of those, that was in the BC(before Crowds and paved roads). they are both nice campgrounds. but Mid Hills is stunning it's up in the mountains in a pinion pine forest. there are several overlooks where I swear you can see 100 miles(well maybe not that far). highdesertranger

 

[Suanne]

Agree HDR!  Amazing, amazing views from Mid Hills.  In the pic below you can see a bit of that "100 mile" view.  And that's a huge Joshua Tree forest in the distance.   Also, cool looking tree skeletons, from a fire past, dot the campground.

 

[highdesertranger]

wow that's how long it's been since I was there. those burnt trees were live trees when I was there last. highdesertranger

 

[rvpopeye]

Nice Spot !
It's in the desert , that may very well be 100 miles......